English Explanatory Dictionary

tarry

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything.
  2. To linger in expectation of something or until something is done or happens.
  3. To abide, stay or wait somewhere, especially if longer than planned.
  4. To stay somewhere temporarily.
  5. To wait for; to stay or stop for; to allow to linger.
noun
  1. A sojourn.
adj
  1. Resembling tar.
  2. Covered with tar.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ˈtæ.ɹi/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-tarry (verb).wav tăr'ē /ˈtɛɹ.i/ /ˈteɹ.i/ /ˈtɑː.ɹi/ tä'rē LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-tarry (adj).wav

Word forms

tarry tarries tarrying tarried tarrow tarrier tarriest Tarrys

Etymology

From Middle English tarien, terien (“to vex, harass, cause to hesitate, delay”), from Old English tirian, tirġan, terġan (“to worry, exasperate, pain, provoke, excite”), from Proto-Germanic *terganą, *targijaną (“to pull, tease, irritate”), from Proto-Indo-European *derHgʰ- (“to pull, tug, irritate”). Cognate with Dutch tergen (“to provoke”), German zergen (“to vex, irritate, provoke”), Norwegian Bokmål terge (“to irritate, provoke”), Russian дёргать (djórgatʹ, “to pull, yank, jerk, pester”). Compare also Walloon tårdjî (“to be late, to be slow, to wait”). Compare typologically Czech meškat, Russian ме́шкать (méškatʹ) (akin to меша́ть (mešátʹ)), копа́ться (kopátʹsja) (akin to копа́ть (kopátʹ)).

Synonyms

abide eld linger retard stay tarry wait forestall put off adjourn avert defer delay dilly-dally draw out extend forslow forestay kick into the long grass kick the can down the road postpone procrastinate prolong prorogue prorogate protract put on hold put on ice roll back suspend hang about hang around loiter sojourn stay over stop stop over keep lodge quarter sleep over stop off await wait on attend bide expect hold up remain tend wait for stop-over pitchy bituminized

Antonyms

go leave

Derived words

tarriance tarrily tarriness tarryingly time and tide tarry for no man untarried untarrying
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